Club Grounds

From the city centre go straight out to Ranelagh over the canal bridge. Follow the main road through Ranelagh village up to 1 mile to Clonskeagh village. Go right at Clonskeagh and straight down Bird Avenue. The pitches are located 700 yards down the road on the right. It is the first right after the main church entrance.

Please note the location of O'Sheas public house on the right between Ranelagh and Clonskeagh. Directions to the Hairy Lemon, Break for the Border, Slattery's, Bruxelles, TB and Keoghs will be given by request. These institutions are frequented by the members of the club. Thank you to M. Dooley for his helpful suggestions.

Club History

Stillorgan Rugby club (formerly known as Salesians RFC) was founded and first registered with the Leinster Branch of rugby in 1973, when a group of former pupils from schools run by the Salesian fathers themselves playing together in Dublin. Most were a long way from home and had attended school in the Salesian colleges Pallaskenry, Limerick, Warranstown in Meath and Ballinakill in County Laois.

The application was made to the Leinster Branch, who had to be satisfied that the club had a home pitch, complete with dressing rooms and showers. After a bit of searching a pitch of sorts was found in Maynooth and the application was approved Salesians played their first season at J3 level in the '73 to '74 season with moderate success and were soon fielding two teams. The first team colours were red jerseys with black collars and cuffs and black shorts. The club strip was changed in 1978 to reflect the school colours of the new salesian college recently opened in Celbridge. Despite being over 30 years old, Stillorgan is still one of the youngest clubs in Dublin. Stillorgan suffered in the early eighties when many of its founding members retired and the club was forced to move its homeground to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. In recent years the move to Bird avenue has ensured the clubs growth and existence and today it comfortably fields 2 teams in the various leagues and cups. The Stillorgan rugby club has a long a proud tradition of playing rugby and drinking. If they were as good at the former as they are at the latter they would have been All Ireland champions several times over.

Playing on the CUS pitches on Bird Avenue for time immemorial, this truly historic playing ground has given many memorable moments to the many crowds that congregate every weekend to view the champagne rugby that Stillorgan have perfected.

Colours

Would all players note the colour of the shorts and socks. That's what you're supposed to wear when playing...